How to Make a Wooden Wishing Well

Cyndee Kromminga Updated April 17, 2017

Do you need ideas for a spring tea party, baby shower or Easter gathering? This cute little wooden wishing well looks adorable as a centrepiece and makes a wonderful party favour gift for your guests to take home. It is made using wooden clothespins and with the help of hot glue, it can be assembled in less than an hour. To finish off as an arrangement, you will insert your choice of silk flowers to match the festivities.

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Press the open end of the aerosol cap into the floral foam. Use the serrated knife to cut the foam even with the top edge of the cap. Take apart 23 wooden clothespins and discard the springs. This will give you a total of 46 halves, you will use all but one.

Set the cap, with the open side up, on your work space. Assemble the base of your wooden wishing well. Apply a vertical thread of hot glue down the side of the cap. With the thick end of a clothespin half pointing down, press the flat side of the half against the cap. Repeat with another clothespin half beside the first and continue to glue more all the way around for a total of 19 clothespin halves.

Cut two pieces of craft wire 12 inches long. There are two grooves on the clothespin where the springs had been attached. Fit one wire into one row of grooves and wrap around the base of the wishing well. Twist the ends where they meet and trim to a 1/4 inch. Fit the other wire in the other groove and attach in the same way as the first.

Apply hot glue to the flat side of one clothespin half. Place another half in the glue with the flat sides together. Make sure the same ends of the clothespins are on the same ends when gluing. Your finished piece will have a fat end and a tapered end. Repeat for a total of three glued pieces. These are the upright arms and centre brace of the wishing well roof.

Apply the hot glue to one side of the arm from the tapered end to the first groove. With the tapered end pointing down, press the glue section against the base with the rest of the arm sticking up. Apply hot glue to the other arm and apply in the same way on the opposite side of the base. Apply hot glue to the tops of each arm and place the remaining brace across the span.

Apply hot glue to the long thick edge of one clothespin half and press it against the long thick edge on one side of the brace. Apply glue to another clothespin half and attach to the the side of the brace in the same way. The brace is now three clothespin halves wide.

Find the centre of the brace on each long side. Apply glue to the centre edge. Turn two clothespin halves with the taper ends up. Place one on each side of the brace with the first groove from the top sitting in the glue Tilt the halves so the tapered ends of each clothespin half are touching. This is the beginning of your roof. Place glue on a long thick edge of a roof piece and butt another clothespin half against it, turned in the same direction. Repeat for the remaining roof pieces for a total of nine clothespin halves on each roof side.

Tip

Paint or stain your wooden wishing well, if desired. Keep a bowl of ice water handy to stick your fingers in if you get hot glue on them.

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Things You'll Need

2 1/2 inch diameter aerosol hair spray or paint can cap

Small amount of floral foam

Serrated knife

Hot glue gun

23 wooden spring type clothespins

Ruler

Craft wire

Wire cutter

References

About the Author

Based in the Midwest, Cyndee Kromminga has been writing craft and interior design articles for 15 years. Her articles and craft designs have appeared in Crafting Traditions Magazine, Easy Holiday Crafting Series-House of White Birches Newsletter and Country Woman Christmas Books. Kromminga's education is in interior design and she has experience operating a craft and design business for more than 20 years.